Maternal Bonds
by Ireland Ranger
Summary: Loki's cell was cracked during the skirmish in the prison. He escapes. However instead of leaving Asgard, he goes to his mother for aid. He finds her in the hands of Malekith about to be killed. In desperation for the only one who cared for him Loki offers himself instead. However Malekith makes a different call and takes both. In captivity Frigga connects with Loki as they suffer.
1. Chapter 1

**Maybe Today Will Bring A Different Tomorrow  
A Thor: The Dark World Fanfiction**

**Chapter 1/12**

The skirmish outside Loki's cell was rowdy and bursting with violence. Even with the annoyances of not being freed, he found the sight amusing and completely ridiculous, if not a bit lightening, especially after sitting in a dull cell for two years. He had had little company in that time and though he tried to allow the schedule and boredom meld into his being, he could not be content with living like this for the rest of his days.

Queen Frigga, his Mother and only friend had done all in her power to make him comfortable, despite the bitterness he'd displayed. He loved her dearly and was grateful to her, for she was the only one who cared for him, but he couldn't show his emotions in such a raw state. After the cruel and impassive words that Odin had spoken to him he found himself even more guarded than ever before, his hidden soul shattered and torn by hurt. He had known himself to be unloved by the man he had called father, but he never expected such brutal things to come so lightly from the old man's mouth. It ached more than Loki was willing to let on, having striven to please him only to be cast aside without a glance.

Indeed, apparently he was naught but a stolen relic locked away until some use might be made of him. He had been a fool to even imagine Odin capable of loving him. Such a fool. Born to die, Odin had said and he would have acted upon that fact if Frigga had not intervened. That too, stung his already bruised soul. Had Odin any idea of just what he had been through in the void, would he still speak so haltingly?

Most likely, for surely this is what he had thought all along and had merely kept silent for his wife's sake. Now though? Nothing held him back to abuse his adoptive son with words that cut like knives and eyes that burned like heated irons of torture.

A man was flung screaming into the force-wall that kept him imprisoned and Loki cast his bothered gaze on the fighting idiots. Dolts of men clobbering each other without heed of whether the brawl would succeed or not, Loki sighed.

This distraction was steadily becoming a hindrance to his thoughts.

"Blunderheads, the lot of them." The words spit between his lips like a snake's forked tongue in a hiss.

He turned his gaze from the battle and walked away from the barrier, gently picking up the book his Mother had left for him on the small table he had been provided with. Closing his eyes to the muffled sounds beyond his cell, he ran his fingers over the firm leather binding. Her gifts had always been the highest of quality and often custom made to his likings. Had she been allowed, he knew she would have gladly stacked a library full of magic books and research for him to ponder through with joy. However, Odin had forbidden it and had probably caused a fit at her sending him mere stories to occupy his time with, just as he had been adamant that Loki never see his Mother again.

Of course, it had most likely slipped his mind in a fit of anger that Loki was not the only talented magician in Asgard. Frigga had visited Loki at every moment she could, projecting her image into his cell. But Loki could not touch her, feel her embraces or the gentle whisper of her breath and it was a painful thing. If Odin did know of his wife's secret visitations to his dishonored son, he must think it a suitable punishment to add to the list.

Gracefully, as if nothing were happening in the dungeons outside his little prison, Loki sat down upon his bed, opening the book over his lap with careful fingers. He brushed the digits over the paper in a caress, running them over the inked words and then he began to read silently.

It was a relativity uninteresting story compared to many he had read, but Loki would not show himself ungrateful by turning it back to Frigga unread. She had done too much for him to be so picky.

For five minutes he read without disturbance, ignoring the shouts and cries. He could have gone on for much, much longer, since his freedom had been denied by the elven creature and he had no way of escape, however a loud shattering electrical sound caused him jump, head snapping towards the front of his cell. The irony of it was both amusing and shocking.

Thor had arrived a little time ago, but though Loki had indeed heard his voice, he did not feel the need to express the fact. Thor had made it quite clear after their return that he wanted nothing to do with him and the younger brother had not argued over it. If anything, the crown prince had stated that he hoped that Loki spent his caged time without any worthy company or chance of freedom. So the sight of Thor's hammer, accidently or not, slamming through the barrier that kept him secured was not exactly to be expected.

The book in his hands snapped shut as he rose, the blockade of magic now disarmed and incapable of holding him captive any longer. Thor, the idiot, had not even paid attention to where his weapon had flown and was already beating another escapee to a pulp. He observed with a comical eye while his 'not-brother' preceded to then pounce to another desperate criminal without even so much as turning in his direction.

Typical of him.

No matter, Loki was no fool and knew that if he ever wishes to even have a chance of liberty he had to go and go now. Idle thoughts and contemplations on his liberation would only cause him to falter and maybe even loose his one crack at leaving his dreaded sentence. He laid the book aside with a grievous guilt and gazed upon it for only a moment before briskly turning about towards his newfound exit.

As fate would have it though, the moment that Loki stepped from his cell, Thor turned his eyes towards him and froze briefly, suddenly comprehending what has happened. The shining blue orbs widened and the escaping immortal wasted no time, casting a spell of transportation even as the thunderer jumped towards his figure. By the time the crown prince reached the spot, his brother was gone.

Loki reappeared on the level above the prisons, slipping behind one of the many columns within the hall. Heaving a breath to himself he smiled, closing his eyes at the mere thought of being freed from his infernal cell and cage. Who cared if Thor would rant and raze all of Asgard to find him, right now he was okay, right now he could breathe without restraint and he would do it proudly.

It took a good five minutes for the escapee to venture from the pillar, cloaked in invisibility and cautious as a wild animal in unknown territory. He made sure to keep his padding light and his senses ready in case of surprise or attack.

Idly, he wondered if he should just leave the realm before he was once again caught, chained like a beast and returned to his 'showcase'. The idea was tempting, considering the fact that the last thing he wanted was to be bound again. But then again he really had nowhere to go, no place of refuge for the not-son of Odin. Every realm had a quarrel and personal vendetta against him in one way or another and stood on guard to catch and make the trickster pay.

Most of the realms really should be pointing fingers at Thor for all of his past feats and quests on their lands without warrant, however they just didn't seem to be able to get it. Loki had only cause chaos on their worlds to save his brother in his ridiculously stupid action and now for those same situations he had to deal with no place of safety and recuperation.

But then again he could hardly stay within the halls of Asgard, hunted and sought after like a mere beast for the sport of….well everyone. While it might prove a interesting show for him, Loki wasn't too keen on the idea.

He could go to the home of the Vanir elves, as they were really the only race capable of appreciating his magic and skills. However, considering the last visit ended up with a dual between Thor and their mightiest magician and ending with him intervening before the fool was killed _and_ therefore breaking too many rules to count _and_ then dealing with Thor's rage of the unfairness of it all _before_ being berated sternly by their father upon their escape _and _then being magic-bound for a month…

No, that wouldn't do. The Vanir were not a people to face twice.

Well, that left seven other realms that would disembowel him on sight and one that would send him either packing back to Asgard or not even bother with the nonsense of his presence and shoot him in the head, as Midgardians seemed to be fond of doing. So in the basic outcome, he had nowhere to go and no one to run to.

Well…there was always the Queen.

Surely Frigga would aid him…right? After all, she had been the only one who visited him in his cell, alone and bored to death as he was destined to remain. His first reaction to her could be related to that of a cat threatened with a bath, but seeing as she still _listened _to him as her visits continued, he had accepted and even come to look forward to her presence. And he had told her much, though not nearly enough when the entire thing was laid upon the table. Besides, he doubted that she would believe him even if she loved him and looked for only the good in him.

The odds had always been against him in his life. Liesmith he was called, but that name was derived from the various times he told far too much of the truth and somebody didn't like hearing it. Only later had he actually put use to the name himself, deciding that if that was their opinion of him, he could at least make it fact and therefore become that which was expected of him.

In the end, Loki decided his Mother deserved a last call from him in the least. Even if she refused him aid, he would bid her farewell because she was the only one in his eyes who ever stopped to recognize him. He would return the favor, if but only this one time.

Once again the master magician closed his eyes, his magic pulsing through his being as he directed himself to another place, another destination. It only took mere seconds and instantly he felt the change in the air.

He opened his emerald orbs, planning to cast a smile upon his Mother's face in the sly greetings he was known for. However the sight that formed before him was not of anything he expected.

"_Loki!_"

Held captive in the arms of what could only be described as a berserker elf was the sweet Queen of Asgard and more importantly, his mother. Malekith stood by; his eyes widened a bit by the abrupt appearance of the darker prince. Loki knew him well from the stories he had been told and the records of magic regarding the defeat and destruction of the elven race. But never had he thought to be confronted by him.

Well, now that he actually thought about it, if he had not been so consumed by the bitterness of his thoughts, he might have questioned just why the elves had attacked in the first place which resulted in his accidental freedom. He may have even considered allying with them just to become clear of Asgard's forces but now…

Now they held the only person he loved and willingly loved him back. Now they had crossed the line and he would tear them apart for laying a single hand on her skin. Nothing would be left of them to so much as twitch.

"Release her, Malekith." Loki displayed his teeth through snarling lips. "Or I swear to the very fabric of your existence that I will kill you with means that would make death seem a gentle outcome."

The dark elf raised an inquisitive eyebrow, taking in the hackle-raised prince before him.

"Of all those within this realm, I had expected you the least, Silvertounge." The deep voice was straight to the point and as cutting as the eyes that glared upon the escapee. "But of all those in this place, you would be one to easily walk through my barriers."

Loki hissed.

"You will let her go alive and well now." He commanded, his voice dripping with threats. "Do not make me say it again, creature."

Malekith stared at him, his gaze analyzing and calculating, but he made no move. The room was silent except for Frigga's occasional sounds of distress by unneeded pressure place upon her by her captor. Loki's eye did not leave the dark elves however, knowing this to be a simple tactic of diverting his attention or riling him. Neither would be acted upon though, but inwardly his soul was raging at the hurt placed over his Mother and he vowed to the very core of his being that they would pay.

Finally, after the rather dramatic pause that hung upon the air, Malekith straightened himself, interest sparked in his face.

"You are surprising, Liesmith, for a traitor."

The elf rolled his gaze between Frigga and her adoptive son. How he had known anything of Loki was odd to her, for it showed plainly over her features, but the prince only filed the fact away.

"Of all the things I am, a traitor is devoid of being pinned." Loki stated, his face hard. "You avoid the matter at hand. Let her go."

"You can do naught to me while I hold her in my grasp, little giant." The smooth words rolled over Malekith's tongue in an accented tone. "She keeps things hidden from us and I will have them known."

Loki looked to his Mother.

"If she finds you unworthy of this information then I don't doubt that you are just that."

The Queen took on a pained expression at the double meaning of the words, but her son did not hold her eyes and directed his attention completely to the elf.

"She will speak no words she does not wish you to hear. Release her and perhaps I can aid you instead."

Malekith gained a ghost of a smile over his lips.

"You care for your Mother." He spoke the fact carefully. "The sentiment is mutual then."

Loki made no comment, disliking the calmness of the elf and the next few words hit him hard and suddenly.

"You will come with us or we will kill her now and find what we need without her."

Green eyes grew large at the sudden demand and his first instinct to reject, run and oppose can ravishing over him like a waterfall. How dare they threaten him! He had to find another path, another bargain to present, one that left Frigga free and him able to eliminate this threat.

"Take me alone and I shall have little hardship finding what you want. Lay so much as a scratch on her and I will not comply."

"The terms I have spoken will not change, Liesmith." Malekith tilted his head back. "You will come or I will have her slaughtered. I will do no other rout."

Magic. Maybe he could blast the berserker from his mother with it. If he aimed well he could avoid having her throat slashed by the blade guarding her vulnerable skin. He could do it, if he was careful. His vision was tunneled on his Mother. He could….

The sword at her neck suddenly moved and drew quick, ruby blood causing Loki to take an urgent step forward as it trickled over the smooth whiteness of the Queen's complexion.

"Stop that you infernal beast! I will come, I will come!" The angered shout escaped him before he knew it and he stood shaking in rage even as the blade stilled, but released no tension from the small wound. "Remove your weapon from her! I have said I will come!"

"Loki no!" The Queen's cry was raw and worried. "You must no-ah!"

The pained sound that escaped between his Mother's lips as her shoulder was cruelly slashed was enough to make Loki flood with desperate want for vengeance. He turned on Malekith, eyes boiling with molten emotions.

"Take me then!" He held out his fisted hands shaking with rage and the wrists exposed for simple binding. "But you will harm her no more! Those are _my_ terms if you want my cooperation!"

His heart hammered in his chest. Loki knew he had no means and certainly no grounds for bargaining, but he considered this a necessary step and truthfully, who wouldn't? He held his breath, waiting for the cold-eyed elf to answer. His insides quivered and shook, but he did not back down the ferocity of the determined glare he held with Malekith.

In the distance, Loki could make out the distinct shouts of Thor as he bounded through the halls. Odin too, was no doubt on his way and would arrive soon. They only needed time and then they could save his Mother and himself, regardless if he was once again cast into a cell. She would be safe and he would know that neither his once-father and not-brother would be more careful then to let the Queen alone again.

They only needed time….

Malekith smiled a thing that did not suit his face and gave his features a crueler tint.

"No restraints will be needed for now." He waved a hand in the air and the room suddenly began to fade, the elven magic cast ready to pull them to another place of Malekith's choosing.

Just the split second before the walls of Asgard's palace dissipated into nothing, Loki witnessed Thor burst into the chamber, his hammer pounding through the weakening barrier. He rushed into the chamber, frantic and searching.

Their eyes met a miniscule of a second passing as they held the gaze.

Then everything was white and the room was gone, Thor's enraged cry still ringing in Loki's ears as he realized just what Malekith had done.


	2. Chapter 2

**Maybe Today Will Bring A Different Tomorrow  
A Thor: The Dark World Fanfiction**

**Chapter 2/12**

The moment they arrived within the elven vessel, both Loki and his Mother were immediately confined. With their forces steadily being destroyed, Malekith and his people were forced to flee Asgard in order to regroup and the disgraced prince knew that they're put-off interrogation would come in only a matter of time. The legends of the Dark Elves relayed them to be a race that was hardly committed to keeping prisoners. They would come soon, he knew, and they would bring their rage with them.

Loki had placed himself by the wall where he knew the door to be only hours before. After clamping him in magical restraints and shoving him after his Mother, the passage had all but melded into the wall, leaving not even a crack to escape from. And while the air was stale, Loki was simply glad that the blockage had not taken their supply of oxygen with it.

He traced the unseen opening with nimble fingers, blatantly avoiding any confrontation with the woman who watched his back from the floor, her own wrists restrained like that of her son's. She would have heard and analyzed his words before their captivity. She had seen his reaction to the spilling of her blood and she knew, she knew that there was more to his burned heart then he let on. No doubt she would start digging through him to find the missing piece that was to be found, the part of the story that changed him so.

His emerald eyes slid shut. She could never know, none of them could lest they become distraught and look at him knowing how he had failed so devastatingly. How he had sullied his already tarnished name in ways no prince ever should.

"Speak to me."

Loki's head twitched back toward her, but he did not look at her directly.

"Something goes on within you, Loki." Frigga's gentle voice coaxed the darkness of their cell. "I will not leave you to suffer it alone. Not while I am here."

Loki turned, hands falling to his sides as his gaze was cast upon the sightless ground.

"There is nothing I desire to share with you." He let out a heavy breath through his nose, looking to the ceiling, determined not to see her face. "Your sentiment is misplaced."

There was the rustling of fabric as the Queen rose from the floor, stepping to cover the space between them. Her shoed feet made a comforting clack over the marble ground and when she came to stop before him a wisp of flourishing roses caressed his senses. It was a scent he had known even as a child, cradled to her bosom after running to her for comfort or love. How he craved to be held in those arms once again, untouched and naive to the cruelties of the harsh world.

Her hand came to rest on his cheek and Loki nearly flinched at the soft contact, lost in his mind.

"I know my son, Loki, do not try to hide yourself in the safety of your crude shell." Frigga's voice was tense, but true. "You have said I not your Mother, but your own actions contradict you. It was I who coddled you as a babe, little one, and you must know that your name is imprinted forever on my heart."

Loki's hand came slowly up to hers, pausing over her skin. It hovered there, unsure. He knew that what she said was truth, but he could not allow it. Already he had displayed too much to her. He had to cut the string before the knot was tied. No amount of love could justify what he would bring upon her if he enlightened her. Never did he wish for disgust to be directed upon him from the one person he held more precious than his own life.

Carefully, he clasped her hand in his, met her eyes evenly, and pulled it from his face with a cruel gentleness.

"Do not waste your affections on one such as me, Your Highness." He brought her hand to his lips and delivered a formal kiss to her unblemished skin. "I could not let the wife of my captor die within my presence. We both know my death would have been long and filled with agony had I not intervened when possible. Do not think it an emotional attachment between us."

"You deny your own actions?"

Loki smiled at her.

"I deny what you believe to have read and analyzed in my actions, dear Lady. You dig too deep and yet there is nothing for you to find."

The Queen straightened, not giving him any leeway in his implied words.

"The boy I raised, Loki." She stated. "He lies within you and I will find him."

The young man sighed, the tone of his exhaling breath pouring out a bitter sound. He looked at the woman before him, the one he had considered solitude his entire life.

"He is dead." Loki spit out emotionlessly. "Gone. Fallen into an abyss with no way of returning. You would have better luck looking to your golden son rather than digging for the silver outcast. He was always the more precious of the two."

"Not to me, never to me, Loki. You were both equal pieces of my heart, always."

"Always?" The dark prince demanded. "Always equal? Even before you were forced to take me in? When there was only Thor?"

The Queen did not hesitate in replying to the questioning of her affection and answered him truly.

"Even after Thor's birth I felt an empty spot in me, a desolate place that lacked the ability to make me feel complete. I could have no more children, I could not fill the desire to give life as any mother would and I was destroyed." She paused, eyes closing as if remembering something. "When you were brought to me, you made me whole and you made me see that though I could have no more children of my own, you had no family to call yours. I knew I had to try for you and for myself. I wanted to give you everything a mother could."

He stared hard at her for a few intense moments, soaking in the raw feeling her expression told of. Her words struck him deep and hurt him physically. Had he been so ungrateful of her in his younger years? Why had he accepted her motherly ways without question, yet had truly yearned for Odin's attention, the man who never paid him mind and had cast him away without a second thought. Why had he sought to be like his arrogant brother whose friends mocked and laughed at him? Why had he looked for his own friends, only to be scorned for his efforts? Why had he looked to others when his dearest and truest friend had always been her? He had asked himself these questions over and over, only to feel more depressed and bitter. Her blooming love was a sword in his heart and he couldn't allow it to affect him, who deserved nothing of her kindness.

He tore his gaze away from hers, determined not to reveal himself again.

"It seems that your efforts were not enough, Allmother. The beast you see before you is all that came of your toils."

His mother frowned, her orbs earnest.

"That is not-"

"I do not wish to speak of it anymore!" Loki snapped at her, snarling slighting with the words to define his point.

Frigga's lips thinned and her eyes sparked flames that came from the maternal instinct all mothers hold. However, she did not reply to his words, obviously taking the hurt and sorrow quietly. She only stood there, hands clasping the sides of her skirts and her head downcast and in Loki's eyes, she was as beautiful as ever, even in her anger and frustration that she contained. Even in the dull darkness of their prison, she lit his world like so many times in the past, being the star of his days and the center of his heart, but so, so looked over.

The present was a vicious monster and Loki understood that the past was written and would not be repeated. Now she was the just Queen of Asgard, not his mother or comforter, and he was nothing but a convicted criminal, trapped with her in the captivity of elves until they were rescued and then he would be returned to finish his life-sentence in prison.

The relationship of mother and son was gone now, and no matter how desperately either of them wished it back, it would remain shattered with no hope of being fixed.

"What do they want from you?" Loki asked in a collected tone, breaking the silence between them. "What is it that causes a supposedly extinct race to reappear so suddenly? What has Asgard, which could call Malekith's presence once again and induce the kidnapping of her Allmother?"

The Queen's shoulders slumped, the tension draining from her form as she looked upon her adoptive child through watery eyes.

"Jane…." Her voice trailed off as she regained her composure. However before she could continue Loki's face scowled and he cut her off.

"Thor's human?" He bit out, making his disgust known. "What has _she_ to do with any of this?"

Frigga adapted a scolding look and her cool eyes berated her youngest for speaking in such a manner. Not that Loki felt any remorse for the words, or how they were spoken so carelessly. He had only seen the girl, this _Jane, _through the vision of the Destroyer and he had been repelled by the sight of her. She, the woman who took the credit for changing his brother and _teaching_ him a lesson in the art of peace. She had stolen the products of his deeds and had named them her own, leaving Loki's involvement to be seen as villainous and wicked. The plan he had set to instruct his brother had worked, but the credit was once again slipped from his fingers by ignorance and stupidity.

_Let the elves take her, for all I care. _He thought angrily of the young woman. _There are plenty of other women Thor could swoon and wed. He'd get over it in time._

"She uncovered something that should have been destroyed long ago." Frigga continued gravely. "Her body is holds the Aether, Loki. If it is not released from her soon….she will die."

Loki's eyes widened, his mouth dropping slack as he gaped at her. He had to admit, he had not expected that kind of news when it came to the mortal. The image of Thor being an oaf while visiting her and causing this mess came to mind first. He had had not idea to consider Jane the main factor of Asgard's destruction and his Mother's captivity.

"The Aether?" He shook his head, disbelieving. "That is not possible. Bor…he had it broke, demolished. How could a lowly human find that which is no longer?"

The Queen sighed, clasping her hands before her, her dress rippling with the movement.

"It seems that it was not as broken as we believed. Jane discovered it by accident, through a portal that should not have been easily discovered." Her face hardened. "Bor was an outrageous fool not to be rid of it when he had the chance. He held the power to do so."

Loki's brow creased in slight amusement, a small smile creeping onto his face as he listened to his Mother's condemning tone. Had Bor still lived, no doubt she would have given him a vast piece of her mind. The image was a curious one to behold.

"You would call your husband's father and your former King a fool?" He cocked his head to the side, the grin widening. "What happened to believing that such people have their purposes for doing such things?"

"He most likely did have a purpose."

Loki grinned.

"But to call one a fool?"

Frigga pursed her lips in a displeased manner at the tease.

"Even a King can be a fool at times." She stated sternly, her eyes boring into his with something that could only be described as rage.

Loki recoiled mentally at the sight, his brain making calculations.

The amusement he held vanished suddenly with her words and instead there settled a crude understanding. His hands clenched into fists and he turned briskly once more to the wall, his back all his Mother could see of him.

"I see."

The words were clipped cleanly as they left his mouth and he once again began to trace his fingers over the surface before him. Behind him, Frigga was staring at her boy, wondering what had turned his mood so flippantly.

"Loki?"

The dark prince made no response, firmly acting as though he may have found an escape route for them and putting all of his attention there. He ignored her, letting an impassive mask fall over him as she rounded to his side, concern glistening in her eyes. The rage was gone now, but the echo of her words and the look in her eyes remained planted in his mind.

"Loki…." She rested a hand over his moving digits, once more making contact with him in a maternal way. "What is wrong?"

He ground his teeth but did not look at her.

"Am I truly such a mistake?" He hissed out bitterly, though his reason was telling him to backpedal, that he could not make it seem like he wanted her love. "Was he a fool to take me? You say he had purpose for me, but you also say that Kings can have foolish purposes. Do you…am…am I one of those? Was my birth right truly to die?"

Frigga adapted an expression of pure shock as she listened and quite suddenly wrapped him in her arms and pulled him close. He made no resistance to the action, letting him be drawn near to her limply and rested his head against her shoulder. He closed his eyes, relishing the feeling of being held by her once again. He knew he was wrong for leading her on again, making her believe that their bond could be saved, but…a few moments would hurt nothing, right?

"Did Odin tell you this?" The Queen questioned, her heart pounding. Loki made no comment, and she knew that it had been so. She brushed her fingers through the dark locks over her son's head, lamenting at the cruelty he'd been shown. He didn't stop her, though his duty was screaming at him now. For her safety, he could not allow this...!

"Odin was a fool when it came to you Loki, but not in the manner you think. He was a fool in his treatment of you and he should have been more kind. But the day he put you in my arms…" She moved her hands to Loki's face and held it between her hands, their foreheads touching. "The day he placed you in my arms was the day he did his most glorious action. I have loved you since that day and every day since. Thor is my child of flesh and blood, but you are the child of my heart. You and your brother are my whole world and I would crumble without either of you. Remember what I just said moments ago? You both make me whole and nothing can change that."

Loki kept his silence as she placed a kiss over his brow. She would not stop trying to make him open up, regardless of his avoidances. And he, even with the knowledge of why he had to push her away, was pained at the idea. He knew it, knew it was necessary, yet he could find no strength to do so.

"I…" Loki stopped, eyes snapping towards the hidden entrance in alarm.

Cracks that had been magically welded shut suddenly reappeared and bustling noises were coming from the other side of the passage. The elves were there and they were opening the door.

Without a second thought, Loki had an arm around a wide-eyed Frigga and was pulling her back from the wall. He pushed her behind him in a protective instinct as the passage was opened and a dim light poured into the cell. He felt his Mother's hand grip at the back of his shirt, whether to confirm to him her presence or from fear he did not know but it was reluctantly comforting and he was grateful.

Loki squinted at the new addition of light, watching as the form of Malekith and four other elves enter the chamber. He tensed as his vision adjusted, waiting for whatever they were to do. The silhouettes stepped over the passage and halted there, the frightening eyes of their leader boring into the prisoners.

"Where is the human?" Malekith demanded, cutting straight to the point with his attention entirely focused on Frigga.

Loki felt a gentle tug on his shirt as he mother calmly stepped more into their captor's sight from behind her younger son. He wanted to conceal her completely, hide her from the horrors of being under another's mercy, but her action displayed her fearlessness of the elves and if made Loki feel ashamed. It wasn't that he was afraid of Malekith, he had faced far crueler beings then he, but he had once been held imprisoned long enough to understand that one did not provoke those above them too much. At least not if you didn't want to be hurt.

Bravery, defiance, determination…they were all things that more often than not, riled the ones who had the power to make life miserable for a captive. He knew this from a horrible firsthand experience, but how was to make his Mother understand this?

Frigga's move, though flushing with all the might and boldness of a Queen of Asgard, would not please the elves. The last thing Loki wanted was to be left in the darkness of this cell, tearfully holding his not-Mother's corpse in his arms and wondering what Odin would do to him.

Regardless, she had made her move and Loki knew that there was no drawing back from the situation now, or ever for that fact.

"She is within the safety of my eldest son. You cannot hope to find her."

Asgard's Queen stood tall, his sharp chin raised royally as she stared down the creatures who had taken her and her son. Even in a bloodied blue dress and her hair slightly messed, she was regal to Loki. No doubt the elves saw this as well, but they were not a race to be easily swayed by the fierceness of a female rebel from another race.

"The Aether will be returned to us, your world will be returned to darkness and my kin and I will no longer suffer your parasite kind to linger." The unmasked elf to Malekith's right was the one who had spoken. "You had no right to take what was ours and we will have it returned to us."

"You killed your own people to ensure your own survival and yet you name us the parasites?" Loki scoffed at the elf, pulling the attention towards him. "Clearly you are confused in the mind. Only the humans imitate your destructive nature in such a manner."

The elf bristled openly at the words and opened his mouth to counterattack them before Malekith's hand rose to signal his silence. Smug, Loki watched as the elf shut his mouth and glared with icy blue eyes at the prince. It was not hard to see that he was young for his race, foolish and tactless. He was easy prey and practically blind in heavy matters like the one at hand.

Malekith leveled Loki with a glare.

"Your tongue suits you ill here, Liesmith." His tone remained ever impassive. "Do not make it necessary for us to cut it out."

"My son shall not be harmed in any manner, Malekith." Frigga spoke fervently. "Not if you ever wish to gain the location of the girl."

The elf turned to her, staring.

"You seemed to have it confused, Allmother." He signaled to the elves behind him with the wave of a hand. "I know you would never relay to me the information willingly, now or ever."

The elves moved forward and Loki's heart spurred in terror at the idea of them dragging his Mother away for torment. His pulse quickened erratically and he once again pulled the Queen behind him, concealing her completely from view.

They grabbed him by the arms with their frosty hands and began to pull him away from Frigga, who cried out against the action. He fought against them, not willing to let them hurt the Queen. They disregarded his struggles though, two of the creatures twisting his arms behind him on either side and yanking him away from his Mother.

"You would never give the location, Lady Frigga." Malekith continued tonelessly, watching as Loki thrashed. "Not through pain or desperation of any kind for you own sake."

He slowly turned his head to face the Queen, her complexion going completely white as she realized what he meant. Anguish sprang to her eyes and she drove forward, only to be held back easily by the two remaining elves.

"You will not touch him!" She shouted angrily, scratching and fighting the elves like a feral feline. "_You will not!_"

Loki looked to Malekith at his words, mouth slightly agape with shock as he was pulled bodily from the chamber, his mother crying out in rage and yelling his name. He battled to be with her, to ease her worries of what was to come but it was no use. He was dragged out of the cell with the echoes of Frigga's anger rattling his ears.

He wanted to let him know everything would be okay and not to fear for him.

But how could he tell her that when he already feared for himself?

* * *

**_Thanks to all those who favorited, followed and reviewed! I will try to post 2 updates a week..._**

**_Thanks!_**

**_-Ireland Ranger-_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Maybe Today Will Bring a Different Tomorrow.  
A Thor: The Dark World Fanfiction**

**Chapter 3/12**

It took all four elves to hold Loki down against the stone slab he'd been dragged to. The entire way to the wretched chamber he now struggled in, he had fought with all his might to get free. His efforts had been futile, however, and had left him weary and bruised by the impatient fists of his captors. Now he lay pinned helplessly, awaiting whatever torments that would be inflicted upon him as they clamped him to the surface of the rock. The restraints bit into his limbs, slicing his delicate skin without difficulty. Even as they lifted their hands and backed away from him, he writhed in battle with his bonds, unwilling to submit without putting up a fight.

It mattered little in the long run. His straining became weakened with his state and the elves did naught but watch him thrash uselessly on the slab, their faces betraying nothing of what they felt. Malekith stood further from them all, grey hands clasped behind his back and cool eyes never leaving Loki's form. Not one of the creatures made so much as a sound and only the captive's tired heaving could be heard in the chamber.

Even so, the disgraced prince was ode to stop testing the clamps. However in the end he was forced to let his aching body rest, ceasing his wild movements and rolling his sweat-covered head away from the eyes of the elves. His emerald eyes closed with exhaustion and he went completely limp, finally coming to terms with the fact that he could not slip away and that he was glued to his position. He hated being at their mercy, replaying the role he had escaped a little more than two years prior. Their silence was pounding, screaming in his ears and he shut himself out from their grating muteness.

Well, perhaps they would keep their distance then. After all, he could hardly complain if his own torture was being delayed by their awkward ways. However Malekith shattered those desperate hopes by stepping forward, the sound travelling swiftly through the air to Loki's ears. Inwardly, his let out a traumatized screech that burned at him to flee, reliving things that never should have even occurred.

An elven hand came to rest carefully by his head, drawing an unwanted flinch from his body at the radiating darkness that came with the being.

"You have finished your pointless writhing then?" The elf's question was spoken slowly, factually and with barely any tone whatsoever and Loki was surprised by the lack of taunting that usually came to one in his position.

The elves were unique, that he could not deign, but that did not make his response to Malekith mandatory. For all of their superior technologies and wisdom, they lacked the _humanity _to be considered likable. A race of beings with hardly a sliver of true emotions that they developed, the feeling being more 'implanted' than truly felt. So the trickster held his tongue still, unwilling to be intimidated by the very creatures who imprisoned him once again.

"This will not succeed, Malekith." He snarled out between his teeth. "Frigga will not risk the universe, let alone Thor's lover, for the sake of her criminal second child."

The elf merely raised an eyebrow, keeping his gaze ever down and upon his victim.

"A Queen might be willing to hold fast for her kingdom in the face of another's agony. But a mother? There is not a woman in existence that would willfully subject their offspring to torture without cracking."

He waves towards one of the elves behind him, signaling him with the dark words of their language. The elf promptly murmurs back and bows, leaving the room quickly to do whatever he was bid. Loki watch him go, nervousness creeping up his spine and making it a difficult task to remain from twitching in anticipation. He didn't know what Malekith had in mind for him and he couldn't help but feel a sliver of terror.

Inside of his weary frame, the fallen prince prayed that his mother wouldn't implode with grief at whatever the sight of him returning would be. She had to remain strong, for both of them. There was no doubt in his mind that she would hold against the bribes their captors sent her way for a while, but for how long? Frigga, though empowered with the stone will of a monarch was not prone to bending her stubbornness. But as Malekith had stated, Frigga was also a mother and took her children to be her light. Even with Loki's consistent failures to her, he knew that her undeserved love for him could very well be their undoing.

As the thoughts raced through Loki's mind, the head of his misery and the leader of the elves was watching his turned face with interest. He knew that the blasted and thrice-cursed elf found him to simply be an obstacle in the way of his race's survival; he did not seem to begrudge himself the chance to look over his prisoner with a contemplating gaze. The disgraced prince could almost _feel _the emotionless eyes analyzing every aspect of his expression. The silence of the chamber made the situation even more awkward and uncomfortable for the captive and it everything Loki had to keep himself from squirming from the sheer oddness of it all.

Then the elf returned and the prince found himself stopping a relieved sigh when Malekith turned away from him. However, the prospect of promised pain so soon to become truth stopped him from fully enjoying the moment.

"What Asgardians believe of my race is naught by foolish tales for children and the unstable in the mind." The dark creature spoke suddenly, his back blocking Loki's view of what the subordinate elf had handed over. "Contrary to your beliefs, we are not beings that survive off the pain of others. We do not take prisoners unless absolutely needed and we dispose of them as soon as convenient."

Loki piled up the fraying remnants of his courage in places like these and spoke clearly, his voice resounding in the room.

"That information is useful, considering that I am the current prisoner under your power." He looked to the blackened ceiling and swallowed, putting aside the anxious feelings that bubbled inside of him. "Am I to be slaughtered then? Will you present to my mother the bloody remains of her troubled child and expect her to babble out the words you seek so that you might kill her also, allowing her to know the fate of what lies for her last son after her death? She may mourn me creature, but she will not give what you demand in a last revenge against you for what you will have done to me."

Malekith turned back to him, meeting his green eyes dead on and holding the path between them effortlessly. His eyes were pits of nothingness, only ambition for his race gleaming in the hollow orbs within his pale skull.

"Another misconception of your.…'kind', if that is what you claim them to be, Jotun." He raised his chin, tilting his armored head back. "My ilk does not practice the gruesome torments the other and more 'lightened' peoples of the universe do. Your Mother shall tell all, but your lifeless and tortured corpse will not be needed for the means of persuasion."

Loki watched with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as the elf reviewed to him a syringe, made and formed with delicately blown glass. The sharpened needle was produced between two curled ends of shining crystal, the pusher at the end forming a beautiful loop where Malekith's finger was lightly placed. Within the container was a glistening yellow substance, swirling wondrously and waving within its confinements. He didn't need to look twice to understand what exactly the fluid was.

It was magic, a liquefied spell to be injected into a subject to work at its fullest and to bring about the most efficient results for the wielder. Loki knew its ability and had even studied it within the healing arts of magical properties in his learning as a young and naive boy. The healers of Asgard often wove complex medicines for suffering and dying patients, diverting the need for surgeries and the long, tedious treatment for sicknesses. The style of recovering a patient was quick and most effective, bypassing many deaths to people of terrible injuries. He had been told Frigga herself had been given one after Thor's difficult birth and when she was believed to be close to the fatal tip of life. It was the only reason for her still having the use of oxygen in her lungs and a heart that pounded love into so many. It was the reason he had ever experience the joy of seeking out his maternal parent and telling her of his issues while she listened carefully to him.

Yes, liquefied magic could be good, a useful things to those with no hope of living. But to a prisoner? Loki knew instinctively that whatever Malekith had woven into that syringe, it was not meant for aiding him with anything other than a very unpleasant experience.

"You recognize it, this magical form." The elf said, nodding with approval. "The spell I have concocted for you is called _Veritas _in the elvish tongue, a difficult creation."

A cold hand came to rest on Loki's upper arms, resulting in a violent flinch from him as the elf touched the tip of the needle to his arm. A shiver wracked his frame and he looked away from the scene.

"The effects are not immediate, however they repetitive once they begin." The sharp point was pushed, breaking into his skin and forced into the muscles. As the substance was slowly injected, Loki gaze a long hiss of pain, his eyes shut tight and teeth grit. "Firstly, the magic within the fluid itself is limited, though the spell will remain. It will feed off your own magical force and therefore block it from your capability to use."

As Malekith handed the syringe back to the subordinate, Loki could feel an invading tingle travel up his arm, teasing and prodding his body as it moved relentlessly through him. As the elf said, the feel for his magic steadily began to dwindle, leaving him even more exhausted and heavy, as though large weights had been placed over his ribs and limbs. He fidgeted under the influence, wiggling vainly to stop the sensation from taking over.

"Secondly, you will become hypersensitive." Malekith lay his hand over his victim's arm again, his facial expression never changing as Loki moved frantically away, his nerves acting raw to the touch. "However this is the one effect of the spell that will not last. But the third aftereffect will be the most persistent. It will act as a random switch, draining you in the process."

Loki cast an eye on the elf, trying desperately to keep his fear at bay.

"You will see things that are not, experience things that are not and you will be put through memories of the past as if they were repeating themselves." The prince's eyes widened in terror that took grasp of his very core, understanding dawning on his face as Malekith continued. "The final point will be death, resulting from the continuous shock your body and mind will suffer. Without the counterattack on this spell, you will die."

The carefully laid dam he had built over the course of time, protecting him from events and immovable fear shattered, leaving Loki exposed before the elves. Even as Malekith gazed on the stricken victim before him, the prince's mind drew blank from reality, dragging him to remembrances long due to be forgotten and discarded. He recalled the terrible emotions desolation, abandonment and ultimate betrayal, their situations bouncing violently around in his skull. He thrashed in his bonds against the waterfall of horror that poured over him, growling and spitting as a last defense against what was to come. It was a valiant attempt, but overly vain against the might of the overpowering shadow that took his senses.

A face appeared before his eyes, large, terrifying and grinning down upon him with eyes that burned into his very brain, a voice echoing in the past with beckoning and promise of rewards and punishment. In a unhopeful attempt, Loki tossed his head wildly side to side, begging his mind to clear and leave him in peace.

He could not go through it again…he couldn't….

Watery emerald eyes pried open, looking to Malekith's expressionless face, wondering how, _how he could have known!? _He closed his lids again, knowing he could not suffer through the past a second time without losing himself once again and this time for good. He would give anything, take anything, even die over reliving that what once was.

For a brief moment his façade cracked open, a split of the burning he felt coming to light in his eyes as he once again gazed at the elf before him, a crazed desperation coming over his features. His sanity felt as though it was on a thin fulcrum, tipping much too far to the acid on one side and preparing to roll him off.

"Don't do this." His voice was rusty, not begging or pleading, but simply asking the impossible of those who did not care and never would.

In Loki's life, he had been lied to and his loyalties taken advantage of by those he had been willing to give his all for. It had been those in his own family who had worn masks and false demeanors against him, his 'friends' outright showing their bold disapproval and disgust for him without heeding the damage they caused. But he had also had many enemies, some so much more hating then others and so, so brutal in their actions towards him.

Brutally honest of their death wishes for him, their cruel plans for him and their opinions of his longing for admiration. They had shown him more truth of themselves to him than those he had always cared for, desired to please. In the end they did not care anymore than his foes and he would rather plead to his tormentor than ask of his family. Because at least then there was no means of him having his heart hurt deeper than already expected.

In response to his words, Malekith merely stared, holding the look for various seconds before signaling two elves over to unbind the suffering trickster. They didn't handle him too roughly as they pulled him from the table, nearly limp and quivering in their grasp. As they moved him from the chamber, following their leader back to the cell, he found himself curious towards his captors with a new light. They were strange in their beliefs and their actions certainly displayed a different picture to that which the Asgardian bards and books painted for entertainment and lore.

When Malekith touched the door, opening by the simple friction of skin, Loki tried to squirm from his holders, not wishing his mother to witness the state he would soon be in. However his resistance was dealt with quickly and Loki soon found himself thrown to the floor of their cell, the door closing behind him and sealing as if it never existed. The hypersensitivity of his skin had toned down since his injection, but the crude landing upon the marble ground caused him to cry out in pain, clenching his fists and snapping his jaw shut to fight it off with the meager tool of sheer willpower. He could deal with it…he just needed to be calm, breath evenly and focus on something other than the pain…other than the pain….

"Loki!"

With the gentle perfume of roses about her that Loki could not help by feel grateful for, Frigga was soon kneeling by her dejected child's side, carefully scooping him into the safety of her soft arms. She held him to her breast as he lie still, panting and thankful that the illusions of his mind had faded before his arrival back into the cell. His mother's loving hand was brushing strands of loose hair from his face before looking him over for injuries of any kind. Loki let her, too worn out from the magic sucking at his reserves to tell her what Malekith had done to his weary form.

Her slim fingers prodded him smoothly over his body, being sure not to cause him any sort of discomfort. However her thorough examination showed no signs of beatings or other agonizing practices, much to her relief. She sighed with the stress of being separated from him waning, but when she met his eyes, she must have seen something that frightened her terribly. Loki hoped he did not seem weak or easily read into like an open book on display. She could not see his terror; he could not allow it to be for he knew that she would surely break over the things she would see.

Silver tears slid over her cheeks despite his hardest efforts to shield his inner self from her in his exhausted state and she held him tighter to herself in an attempt to hide him from all the world.

"Oh poor, sweet child, what did he do to hurt you so?" The Queen lamented, weeping into his black locks after finding not even a small wound to tend to. "What has caused such fear to surface in your precious eyes?"

Loki looked away, heart heavy with the idea that he could not even save her from himself. She would see him for what and who he was, the shambles of a once bright garden in bloom, reduced to dried leaves and unfertilized soil. She knew him far too well, leaving him no chance to shell himself completely from her piercing gaze. At one point, as a small boy, he would have loved the attention directed on him, willingly leaving himself open to her with a large smile. But now the thought only brought an agonized ache to his chest and he had to force himself to look away.

However, Frigga's persistent spirit would not allow such a shutdown to occur and she gently tipped his head towards her once again.

"Loki, please." She insisted lightly, rubbing two of her fingers across his cheek before leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I must know."

He blinked, the mysterious sting unwilling to fade that seemed to have suddenly come. He _would not_ speak of anything to her. She was far too dear to be lost, too motherly to be hurt and too kind to be torn apart by raging and vengeful things that haunted his every moment. She was his everything and all he had that remained and linked him to who he had been before. If he was to die soon, from the horrifying shock of being put through all the past torments he had suffered, he wanted her to be safe. It was a sacrifice towards his own joy of halving his burdens, but he could cope as he always had.

She deserved a better son and if he couldn't give her that, he would not harm her with things that would only make her weep for him after his soul departed from his body. When the memories of his pain came, he would not let it be known to her, ever.

So he merely stared at her longingly and overflowing with the want to embrace her, a single tear running down his cheek as he kept his silence.

And Frigga wept for him, hugging a boy who dared not return the gesture, telling him there was nothing to fear and that she would always remain by him. In Loki's mind he cursed Odin for snatching a runt from a defeated race of monsters for himself, allowing him to believe that this beautiful woman was he maternal paradise when hurt.

She cried upon him and he knew that everything would have been better had he been speared through as a babe, never to know the pangs of believing one thing, when the exact opposite was truth.

* * *

**_Oh my gosh! So many reviews, follows and favorites for just the 2nd chapter! Thank you all! You make this story possible with your  
_****_support!_**

**_Anyway, heres the 3rd chapter out of 12, unedited sadly, but I thought you'd like to see it anyway. Next chapter is to be posted thursday or wednesday and will be focused on what Thor and Odin have been doing, perhaps with a bit of what they plan to do. So keep your seats, folks! Let me know what you think, any mistakes I might have made or even any suggestions you might have!_**

**_Thanks all! Read and Review!_**

**_-Ireland Ranger-_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Maybe Today Will Bring a Different Tomorrow  
A Thor: The Dark World Fanfiction**

**Chapter 4/12**

Thor was on the rampage.

From the moment Malekith and Loki had vanished with his Mother he had been cracking skulls and pounding elf-like nails right and left. Even after the elven forces had fled Asgard in haste the golden prince was not to be calmed. He had gone from corpse to corpse, checking to see if all his foes were indeed dead. Any elf found living and wounded was immediately shaken vigorously and questioned on where the others had taken his Mother to the point of traumatizing the dark creatures.

None could answer him completely in their fear and therefore they proved no worth to him.

In his rage he would have murdered the helpless captives at his feet had Sif not interfered in due time. She argued with him to get his head level and eventually she had prevented him from brutally beating the frightened elves to death.

Since then however, he had been moody and completely absorbed in the defeat of the revived and ancient enemy. His phrases and sentences were clipped or snapped through his lips, daring any to challenge him. His blue eyes radiated anger, hate, misery and ultimate determination like well-kindled flame in the night. He had slept little and had eaten less, his mind far away.

Odin too, had been nothing but bitter and more standoffish than usual towards his son and everybody else. When he wasn't retired and cut off in the solitude of his private chambers, he was a cold figure, giving harsh, crude orders and listening to little advice whispered into his ears by eager councilmen.

With a mere warning tone he sent them quivering from his presence.

Both remaining royals when met in the same room, would clash violently in heated arguments or mutter to themselves about plans and ridiculous notions. Thor blamed Odin for not containing Loki better when the demand of the public made it an outcry and Odin blamed his blood son for not disposing of the disgraced prisoner on earth; instead bringing home shame and humiliation to the Royal House of Asgard. In the King's mind, the humans had contained the right and deserved to punish the one who reaped havoc on their realm without mercy or compassion. Surely they could use him for learning and knowledge, as they were such primitive and wanting creatures. The fact that Loki had been prince and Frigga's beloved child, he had been forced to show some merit of clemency where he felt none should ever be given.

Both Crown Prince and Allfather King agreed where the common problem laid and both wanted it taken care of by any means possible.

Loki, Lord of Mischief and Tricks had played his final round.

The moment he had left his cell he had overstepped his already restricted bounties and every chance of redemption or forgiveness from Thor was completely ground into dust. What little consideration for Loki's wellbeing that had been left over from before was now nonexistent. The final act of betrayal had gone with the kidnapping of Frigga and if Thor ever found the escapee he had once called brother, he would show him his wrath without any form of mercy. He had had the chance to give his due, to serve his prison time and show his regret. By escaping, he had ruined even that.

Thor had spoken out against the death sentence for his once-sibling with dutiful loyalty for the remnants of their dead relationship between brothers. He had saved Loki from becoming little more than a test subject for the Midgardians and he had fought fervently against the more bloody punishments handed out to criminals like him. No once-brother of his would be mutilated and tortured, regardless of his crimes. Thor had stood as Loki's only defense and had stood proudly.

In the end his brother had been condemned to serve the rest of his drawn out life in a cell, never to be granted leave and with only the minimum of things to do. He would not be harmed unless needed and his powers were to be contained within the restraining boundaries of the prison, not stripped completely. Frigga would not be permitted to see him however, and Odin had known it would affect Loki the most. Still, it was better than a timeless execution.

Then the mighty Allfather had ripped the Jotun runt of any ties to the royal family, naming him outcast and casting him from all that he had once clung to with hopes of exceptance. By the end of the formal sentencing, Loki had stood silent and pale, greeting no eyes besides a glance at his ex-mother as he was dragged forcefully back to the care of the jailers, compliant and never to see the light of day again.

Thor had stopped them before they left the main hall, telling Loki he may have rebelled against the counsel's wishes for his fate, but that he hoped that the rest of his days were spent lonely and painfully foreboding. He wanted Loki to understand that all he had was ripped in twain, never to be mended. Too much suffering had come from his selfish deeds and Thor would not partake of the company of a murderer. The dark-haired prince had closed his eyes at the cruel words, too much a coward to face the mess he had so vilely created.

And the golden prince had made his point further aware to the prisoner by abandoning him to rot away in his cell until death.

From that day Thor had spent his days in making merry for the time lost in grieving and fighting. Sif and the Warriors Three had been his amusement and companions in that period, making the months pass by with ease. He had ventured to many lands and made new enemies before gaining more allies. Blooming laughter drifted from them and their tales grew longer and more were collected over the course of time. Together they feasted, travelled and forgot the past, as well as the unruly misfit they once knew as a tad-along eyesore of Thor's.

The wicked presence of Loki was all too soon erased from their lives.

And while they forgot, Loki had been left alone, desolate and cut off from all he had known and may have loved. No one asked after him, no one inquired whether he was still alive and no one even bothered to utter his name. Nobody felt regret for these things either and Thor was included with those people. He was done protecting a vile creature that showed little to no empathy or guilt, incapable of being normal and true. It was only a surprise that it had lasted so long before the real colors of his brother's demeanor were exposed.

So long had he shielded a monster in his midst.

The only gut-wrenching feeling Thor got when thinking of the sentencing was the fact that he had _stopped_ the counsel from actually teaching his 'brother' a well-deserved lesson. Now, because of a lessened punishment, the fiend was liberated and working with the aid of Malekith and the only person who had shown the mangy rat any care was now held captive to them. Their Mother, the last who displayed any form of attachment to Loki after his deeds was now a wounded subject to his betrayal.

Thor had never thought himself capable of hating and being disgusted of Loki to the fullest extent until he had seen him disappear before him, kidnapping their mother and aligning himself with elves as allies. When he had raced across the marble floor to the place they had once stood, the golden prince had given a cry of anguish unmatched and bleeding out pain, cursing the one he had sworn to always guide and shield to the very depths of the abyss.

Loki, former tiny sibling of Thor. Loki, once the master magician of all of Asgard. Loki, the one he had fussed over as an elder brother when hurt or sad. Loki, the small, green-eyed boy who came to him at night in fear of nightmares and expected protection. Loki, right hand of the crown prince, ever faithful and ready. Loki, ever eager to prove himself a warrior, even when he knew it was futile. Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard and second in line for the throne.

Loki the trator.

Thor closed his eyes as he stood alone in the privacy of his room, contemplating the depth of the past few years and all the bitterness they had presented to so many. Three years ago, the elder prince would have meandered to his little brother's chambers, bursting in without invitation and then ranting all his troubles into the ears of the dark-haired boy who had been forced to put aside a book for him. By the end of the whining trip, Loki would have outlined a simple path for his brother to take through his thought process. Thor would have dawned on the ideas presented and he would run off to fix what he could or stay away from the things advised. His younger would scoff in amusement at his befuddled way and return to his reading, turning each page with care and admiration.

Loki, traitor, murderer and liar, tyrant to an innocent world and captor of the Frigga, Queen of Asgard.

Never in all his years had Thor thought of his innocent Loki causing the hurt he did and it stabbed the thunderer in the heart to have to acknowledge the fact of what he had lost. Always he would love and admire the young boy and companion he had growing up, a small, dark-haired brother to protect. The creature that Loki was now…was not akin or alike to the one he had known through childhood.

Like sifting sand through fingers, he had lost his cheery counterpart, watched him slip and change with little chance to aid or stop it. And now he found himself alone, groaning and pining mentally over the fact that he had allowed he whom he had loved so dearly once to live.

Once again Thor buried his face in the cradle of his hands, unable to stop the tornado of emotions that swirled endlessly through his soul, flinging shards of glass into those places he dare not wander. He hated Loki with a violent passion, but even through that horrible sensation, he questioned himself on the very roots of the issue.

Why? Why had his brother done such demeaning things to others? Why had he cast himself into the darkness of the evil, embracing it like a long-gone friend, tender and heartfelt? His mother had said Loki had felt cast aside by his family, a mere shadow to that of his glistening brother. Desperation for assurance of their love had driven him mad, she said, and he had only wished to be seen. Thor had believed her, for he had seen the tears his brother had wept as they battled, he had heard the shrill note in the echo of his voice and he had felt guilt for it. He had been willing to reinstate his desolate sibling if they ever met again. He had vowed to try to be a better person for the one who was devoured by the void.

Yes, Thor had clung to hope for Loki, only to have it smashed to nothingness at the invasion of Midgard. An invasion led by the dark prince himself, wild and maniacal like Thor had never seen before.

Hope died when Loki ruthlessly stabbed he who thought himself to be his brother, mocking the sentiments he had displayed.

Thor wasn't stupid enough to make the same mistake twice, knowing the consequences of the last action. He did not falter again and place his emotions open to be torn asunder, yet even then he had failed and his mother had been the one to pay the ultimate price.

"Thor?"

The golden prince jerked, casting a tired glance behind him from where he stood leaning against the railing of his private balcony. Sif stood quietly in the doorway to his chambers, her stance stiff and her eyes carefully drawing him up to be analyzed. He regarded her for a few moments before once again turning away, prickled and stern.

"Do the warriors require me, Lady Sif?"

A sigh came through her parted lips.

"No. However Odin calls for your presence and…I wished to speak with you."

Thor tensed slightly, but did not turn to face his friend and inquire on what might be the subject of their conversation. Instead his glaring eyes only pierced the scene of Asgard harder, as if he hoped to vent all his rage and grief towards the helpless place he called home. He knew why she was seeking him out and it was not something he wished to discuss at the time.

"We have to do something about the Aetha that lies within Jane. It cannot remain any longer."

"I know this, Sif."

Thor made a displeased grunt, twisting himself around to look at her with icy blue eyes. However, the stony gaze did nothing to faze the warrior maid and she drew herself to full height, her chin jutting up to meet his challenging stance. If he thought to frighten her off it would take more than a glower and steel voice to do it.

"Then why has nothing been done to find a solution?" She demanded thickly. "Each moment that passes gives the elves more chance to retrieve their weapon. We can wait no longer! Something should have been done the moment Foster arrived!"

The crown prince slammed a hand down on the railing by him and thunder rumbled in the distance, beckoning to the feelings that rolled through him. His face was clouded over with many emotions that combated each other for the surface.

"Thor…."

"I know these things! Do not think me to be negligent!" Thor stepped forward, fists clenched by his sides and shaking with strain. "But we were not the only side to gain captives from the battle! Any move we make could spell death for Asgard's Queen and _my Mother_!"

The warrior maiden nodded grimly but gave him no leeway.

"Every realm created is under threat and there is little hope for any if you do nothing." She held up a hand to silence him when he opened his lips to speak, her voice ranging above his. "Your Mother would not wish for many to die for her sake and I know that she would tell you that if she could. She was captured to prevent the elves from acquiring the Aetha and save your Jane. What will you do with her sacrifice?"

She would battle, Thor thought as he looked to his companion who stood firm and unmoved. She would do what needed to be done and pity to those who stood in the path to her ultimate destination. She was a mother, yes, but she was also a queen. The actions of defiance she demonstrated to Malekith proved that. Frigga loved completely and ruled without question.

But in the end, her heart betrayed her and her status only made her a target to be used as leverage. Was it worth it? To cherish one who would only push you away? To protect and govern over those who would have you die for them? Both Thor and Loki had been taught that their family life was second to duty, but what person could willingly live such a way? His mother had claimed that this same 'duty' was only a sliver of the reasons why Loki fell from light and while Thor did not believe it, perhaps she had a point.

Royalty love, breath, feel and hurt like any other, but unlike their subjects, they are forced to contain their emotions to a certain degree and not allow them to cross the line of proper. Odin himself was a perfect display of the rule, so much to the point of being seen as stone-like.

Blue eyes cast themselves to Sif, and Thor wondered if, as king, he would be sorrowing and friendless. It would be a desolate existence, to bear such a burden with no shoulder to lean on now that Loki was gone.

"I will speak of the matter with Father." Thor reassured his comrade with a weary smile, his past foreboding thoughts bidding him to do well by his companions. "We have been so busy collecting the captives and cleaning the mess made, we have nearly forgotten the most vital task needed to be done. Thank you my friend, for making sure I am aware of the situation. It is…Father's wish to go about this slowly, so as not to jump into a rash decision."

The dark-haired woman bowed her head in acknowledgement of his words, returning his smile gently.

"Usually it would be Loki to do so, discover easy routes to take in difficult spots. However, given that he is gone, I sought to ensure your position did not overwhelm you."

The golden prince's expression went sour at the mention of his not-brother, but he made no comment. The sight of his displeasure did not skip by Sif's vision though, as the glance she passed him was inquisitive and watchful. Thor deflected the look quickly, gathering himself up and launching towards another conversation topic.

"Why does Father summon me?"

"He wants you to be present for the executions of the elves."

This hit Thor and his eyes widened with surprise. The attack had not even been three days ago and yet already the prisoners they had secured were being swiftly dealt with. While the Crown Prince held no regard for the dark creatures and surely would have killed them himself, he had not expected the task to be done so soon. Especially since the Queen and disgraced prince were missing, one likely being subjected to torment while the other laughed at his wit.

"Now?" Thor asked slipping past Sif and heading into his chambers to prepare. "But surely he would want to wait until…"

"That is one of the reasons I sought you out." Sif followed him in, keeping a good distance as he donned his cloak and the armor he had discarded. "You knew nothing of this?"

Blue eyes met brown as Thor met the warrior-maiden's orbs.

"I knew nothing of this. Father told me he was considering on what path to take from here. I had assumed that he also meant that he was analyzing what steps to take on rescuing Mother and securing Loki….but this action will only prove to anger Malekith further."

Sif responded with a grave face, her lips in a thin line.

"Her Majesty made her choice when she distracted the elves from Jane." She swallowed, looking away with shame and admiration. "I do not think she expected to live through the encounter, let alone be saved from them if she did. I…I don't think that the Allfather plans to go after the Queen."

Thor froze, his brow scrunched in disappointment as he looked over his companion's face. She was sincere and her features showed the worry she felt, but that did not mean her words were correct. She was confused, because _of course _the Allfather seek to save his left-hand, Queen and ultimately his wife. The mere idea of him not doing such a thing was too astonishing for Thor to comprehend and far, far too vile.

He let out a hot breath, relaxing his shoulders in determination.

"He will not abandon her." He met Sif's gaze, hard and filled with promise. "And if he does so, I would rather face his wrath and all that of the nine realms, than leave my Mother to such a fate. We _will_ find her."

The maiden nodded her approval as his vow, putting a fist over her heart to express her own seal into the promise.

"And I would follow after you, now or until I die, facing off the horrors of your journey." She held up her chin proudly, smirking at him a little. "For someone would have to keep you from hurting yourself."

Letting out a thick sigh, Thor returned her smile, placing a beefy hand on her shoulder, not as a prince to a subject, but as a friend to a friend. For Sif had been by his side for as long as he could remember. He owed her much and together, with the Warriors Three, they had seen many a battle and vanquished vast foes with naught but unity to stand by them.

Loki, too, had once been a part of this knitting of loyalty. However once the selfishness of being without glory, honor and victories had begun to settle, he had become too bitter for even Thor to handle. Many times he had sent his brother sprawling into the dust for his carelessly cruel words or crude pranks. When he had used magic ha had expected to be praised for his work on the field and when he was met with the scorn of other warriors, he had fled like a coward from their eyes. Thor had stopped the brash words of the fighters, yet Loki had been anything but thankful. He glared at everyone and everything, never laughing except at their expense.

Shaking his head of the thoughts of his once-brother, Thor set himself towards the throne room, his jaw tightly set and Sif patting dutifully behind him. What need had he for a sibling when he had companions far more reliable than the second prince had ever been? None.

"Thor, when you find Loki….what will you do?" Sif suddenly questioned her voice quiet and knowing, seeking after knowledge already understood.

Thor looked back to her in his firm stride, deathly fire burning in his eyes of ice blue and sending a shiver down her spine.

"I have finished with his nonsense." He turned his gaze ahead again, teeth grit and eyes twitching. "When we find them…I will kill him."

* * *

**_So sorry for the lack of updating last week! Thanksgiving brought some unexpected visitors and I had to play hostess...so yea...Anyway! This chapter was SOOO hard and BORING to write...sorry it just was. But I plowed through it and TRIED to edit it. Please let me know of any mistake (because I can FEEL them glaring at me as they remain invisible)!_**

**_Thanks for so many reviews, favorites and follows! You make this story possible!_**

**_Also: the picture is not mine...you can find it on DA, the composer simply said not to claim it as my own...so yea...its not mine!_**

**_Thanks again! R & R!_**

**_-Ireland Ranger-_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Maybe Today Will Bring A Different Tomorrow  
A Thor: The Dark World Fanfiction**

**Chapter 5/12**

Loki woke with a violent cry tearing from the soft flesh of his throat. Without conscious thought, his limps flailed to fight off an invisible monster, a wicked beast from the past that was determined to make his world a living hell. He clawed at the air like a crazed animal, trapped in his mind and the darkness it provided from the past. Shadows of things that should never have happened and had been placed in the dormant reaches of his mind, sprung out with horrible lash, leaving its victim shaken and terrified.

Even as snapped up from his position on the cold marble, his sweat drenched clothing sticking to his skin, his mother was scrambling over with worry in her eyes.

"Loki, my son, are you well?"

The look he gave her was of a shivering creature, hunted and swallowed in a pit of terror. He had not told her of what the elves had done, even with her insistence. Her ignorance in the matter made her on edge and fearful for her suffering second child.

"I…" He covered his eye with a shaking hand, trying to control his breathing. "It was nothing…_is _nothing. Just a dream, nothing more, only a dream…."

His voice trailed off with a hitch of air, his other hand clenching in his lap. Instinctively, Frigga moved closer to her child and she went to take those quivering fingers into the warmth of her own. However, when contact was made, she did not expect the shrill shriek of panic that erupted from Loki.

"_Don't touch me!" _

He scrambled from her reach and onto his feet, hands clutching arms as if he was trying to keep warm. He looked upon his shocked mother, gulping down the bitter taste of bile that swelled on his tongue and took a deep breath. At the sight of her wide orbs and gaping mouth he quickly shuffled through his confused and terrified mind to apologize.

His fumbling words gave fact to his distress.

Oh, such a monster was he.

"I'm sorry." He tried to collect himself and his stop his voice from its unsteady rattling with little success. "Could…could you not do that again….please. Just…not now."

"Do what again, Loki?" Frigga's voice was calm and her firm gaze remained ever on Loki. "What do you wish that I don't do?"

He was crumbling from the inside and that was something that he didn't know if he could handle again. Once had certainly been unsatisfying for himself and yet enough, but to go through it one more? The torment, the blood and the fear of uncertainty for what was expected of him, those where things he could not face, they were enemies that needed to remain in the past. But no, instead they crawled from their twisted nest and into his dreams, leaving the echoes of his own sorrowed weeping ringing through his eardrums and re-awakening emotions that had taken long to overcome.

He clenched his eyelids shut.

_Don't thinkdon'thinkdon'think….!_

He felt a gentle touch on his face and flinched but thankfully did not screech and flee from the feeling as he had before.. Instead he found himself leaning into it, searching for warmth and a kind sensation in the sudden increase of gloom that had opened above his head. Now, drenched in its terrible rains, he only wanted his mother. He was like a desperate child, alone and mentally abused by those he loved. Only the sheer force of will kept him from moving forward to be enveloped in the sense of joy and hope she provided.

But alas for things that cannot be!

He remained still under her soft caress, waiting and unsure of what to do.

"My child, open your eye so that I might see them glisten as they always have."

The command was carefully spoken, yet Loki could not find it within himself to disobey and soon raised his lids, relief flowing through his being at the sight of his mother. However, his green orbs no long shown with happiness and mischief, but were dimmed and Loki knew the proof would sting Asgard's Queen to the core. How he had changed from a sweet boy to an empty man was surely the dominant question in her mind and Loki was not inclined to answer it.

However the smile she gave him left him confused and wondering. He saw the silver drops swelled in her eyes that were determined not to fall and he wondered why she suppressed them, for there was no one here to remind her of her status and her supposed regal posture.

"Come." Her hand slid down from his shoulder to his hand, only to enrapture them in her fingers and coax him towards the wall. "Sit. I would speak with you while we are undisturbed and alone."

Loki did as she bade of him, silent and solemnly sliding to the floor in a graceful yet shivering manner. Frigga settled herself beside him, their hands ever clasped and her smile never wavering in the slightest.

"Tell me…" The Queen patted his pale skin and called for his attention. "How were the books I sent you? You never told me if you were pleased or not. I acquired them for you from the Light elves. I thought you would enjoy them. Did you?"

Loki turned his emerald eyes on her, thoughts whirling through his head like an untamed whirlwind of anger, despair and envy. He knew not where to direct those emotions and therefore held them at bay, but he was not clear on what she wanted of him. To talk of books at such a time as this, surely she was not serious?

He cast his gaze away again, brow furrowed as he sorted through his brain.

"They were entertaining."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

The Queen's look was slightly displeasing but she made no note of it in her tone. Instead she kept with the inquiring questions, curious to what he thought.

"You seemed to enjoy the works of the Light Elves whenever we ventured there together. I wanted you to have something to do and I thought to look towards your interests."

"I read them all within the week." The dark-haired prince stated blandly, closing his eyes and he waved his free hand in a swooshing motion as he continued. "And thus went my time-killer. I had started through them the third time when the brawl in the dungeons occurred."

"I see." Judging by the sound of her voice Loki could tell that her lips were curled up. "It seems I should have given more thought to how quickly you devour any reading marital like a starving panther."

Loki shrugged slightly, noticing that his trembles had begun to slowly still and level out. The Queen knew her boy well and had seen it fit to distract him from the nightmares that wracked his mind. He was grateful to her for yet another thing and thought he knew it would not be the first time, he felt a little lighter in spirit.

"I will admit that when you have little to do but lounge alone in a cell, reading anything and everything could tend to be even more addictive than ever." He sighed, looking over to his mother. "I was thrilled to receive your books and thanked the heavens for a distraction from the everlasting schedule I was forced to endure."

A spark lit Frigga's eyes and her features softened.

"I am pleased." She looked down, rubbing her fingers over his knuckles slowly and releasing a small sigh. "I did not agree with your incarceration, especially not when we distanced ourselves from you further. You need aid, understanding, not locking away to wither in on yourself."

Loki frowned at her words.

"You never needlessly kept yourself from me." He tried not to sound comforting, but he would not have her blaming herself for his outcome. "Odin is guilty of this, but you did naught but accept me, even when I deserved less."

Frigga raised her head, a watery smile over her lips and eyes filled with a deep, hidden pain that Loki knew not the cause for. His mother had never been anything but cheerful, joyous and ever ready to spend her time to patiently watch or assist her sons whenever they came tattling over. Of course, in their elder years neither Thor nor Loki waddled any longer to her, but had instead sought her out, one subtly and with a soft budge, the other loud and demanding.

She had shown him a purpose to live up to, given him dreams to accomplish when no other would and he could never begrudge her for slights because of this.

"I was selfish when it came to you, Loki." A shamed blushed brushed the Queens cheeks as she spoke. "In your joys, your intelligence and your magic, you always sought me out and I wanted no other to hold the brightness that your eyes held for me. You needed the attentions of a father, and even knowing this I wished to hold you to myself alone." She drew a shaking breath. "By doing so I hurt you and left you wounded beyond measure and I am so sorry."

Loki made no comment of her words because he knew it already. Each and every time he had gone to her about Odin's disapproval, Thor's rejections and his complete lack of friends, she had clung to him and told him she loved him more dearly than any of them. He believed her and still did, for at least her honest pride was not a cruel blow to him.

He had known even as a boy and he had forgiven her and had even loved her for it to a certain degree. For it is far better to be over-cherished than not to be thought of at all.

Though despite his approving and dismissive thoughts, Frigga took his silence as a negative emotion towards her and tried instantly to sooth it over.

"Thor was such a wild child." She commented suddenly, eyes filling with memories of past days and times during her younger years of motherhood. "He never contented himself in my embrace and ever looked to find adventure elsewhere. He never needed me for anything other than as a listening ear and a person to nurse his battle wounds."

She reached up and gave Loki's shoulder a gentle squeeze, yet even as she spoke the pangs of the fluid in his veins pecked at his mind and clawed for freedom.

"You were the magnet of my joy."

Once again, Loki found himself unable to respond to his mother's words. Even with the dull pain that he suppressed within the bosom of his heart at all the cruelties he had suffered, all the rejection and aching want to be accepted, he saw how much he had forgotten he had. With all the secrets that he kept encaged and hidden from sight, he found himself with the realization that the one he trusted most; he would always harm the greatest.

And that person he found he devoutly wished that it could be Odin or Thor…anyone but the person before him. Magnet, Frigga had said. If any person were the magnet it would be her, always returning to his side and never, ever giving into the screen placed before her eyes. She saw through him now, just as she had when he was a child, pranking with magics and showing them off to her.

And that was a dangerous thing.

"I am no Thor, seeking to conquer and destroy the foe for glory and honor's sake." Images flashed before his eyes with colors of purple, ruby and the chalk-screeching sound of screams. He closed his lids, fear tingling up his spine. "Even in the passages of my life the times I sought for such things were denied and mocked. I have seen things….felt sensations that reveal to me what I truly am. A monster, as Odin was reluctant to actualize with words, but not to imply."

He drew his hand away from the Queens, not even being able to look upon her face. This was for them both…he had to do this, to say these words. He could let none get close to him again, for the shadow that followed him, when it came, would hurt any and all he held dear.

Frigga could not be among those numbers.

"Even with the love you passed down upon me, I was a lost cause." The agony was returning, biting into the skin at the base of his neck and slithering to his brain like a hungry worm to dine. "Flipping the pages of a written book was my life, drawn out and carefully crafted to be of good use. I was to be recited, not read, not looked into, only dictated and expected to obey. I was never meant to question or try to make a place for myself. Ever did fate seem to work against me. So I will be as I am written out, a monster, a shadow…." The venom lashed out briefly and he saw a haunting picture, one that left raw terror over his feature and a single tear left his eye, trailing over his cheek to fall to their clasped hands. "…I am no more than a tool for others, never to be more. For all my cunning and wit, I am alone and should remain so."

Silence followed his subtle rant, falling upon the cell with a frightening understanding of pure emotion. He had spoken truth, contrary to his namesake and known trait. In the past, it had been his lies that had been heeded the most and this unaltered words shunned. Many called him wicked for his prone ability to manipulate and twist, but what did he have to offer when that which they called for was claimed unworthy when given?

He could say no more, not even a trickle of wholesome words to spill from his mouth after his confession only moments ago. His inner soul was like a chaotic ocean, untamed and if one was caught in the foamy waves of the terrible thing, their ship would surely sink.

Yet Frigga cast off from shore without fear, launching into the stormy blue of his mind and breaking the silence between them. She rowed alone, but with a faith stronger than that of steel or iron, the maternal bond she shared with the younger son she hoped to yet save from himself.

And so she spoke, her voice quivering despite her strength, her heart laden with the woe of watching her child suffer.

"Midgard, why my son?" Her tone was pleading and completely exposed. "It was Asgard that burnt you, even when you cried out against the flame and begged to be heard. Why reap bleeding to a realm with no guilt towards you, a world primitive to our own?"

Loki closed his emerald orbs, taking his hand from her gentle grasp and turning his face away, fighting the pangs of pain that attacked him and the memories that were following dutifully after with a cruel vengeance.

"Midgard is dear to Thor…perhaps I meant to hurt him by smiting his beloved's home."

The Queen hummed knowingly, smoothing out the wrinkles and folds over her skirts as she responded.

"With an army of nearly idiotic minds and lacking prowess? You are not one to lead vast numbers to death, but rather to preserve life through more intriguing means." The disgraced prince clenched his jaw shut, going stiff from more than just the venom. "The Chitauri are beneath you, tools you would not use when you silver tongue could gain nearly any prize on its own."

Loki snarled, snapping a vicious gaze towards his mother. She had hit far too close towards home for him to remain comforted by and that made him fear. She could not know of him what he sought to kept concealed, never for a lifetime and a thousand years.

"Perhaps I cared little for the death of such worthless creatures, insects of the universe that needed wiping away." His words were whipped out, too quick to be taken as whole.

Frigga only shook her head at his answer, reaching up once again to lay a smooth palm over his cheek and to force their eyes to meet.

"Oh, my little trickster, you can fool many but you cannot hide from me." He tore himself from her, terror betraying him in his features, etched clear as day. "Always you felt compassion for those that no other would. You begged to spare the life of a child goblin, do you not recall? You were little more than a boy yourself, yet you saw innocence in that babe, laying amongst the slaughtered who dare challenge the might of Aagard. You cared for all life, ugly or wretched, it mattered not."

"Perhaps I abandoned those ideals like my own sire did unto me in the frost of Jotunheim!" Loki spit out the raging fires within. "Besides, Odin had the baby killed 'mercifully' anyway. My word once again was unheard."

His mother sighed and it was a weary sound to his ears. It was true. Even after the heat of battle, the blood of a warrior still pumps furiously through his body with rage. The goblins had been punished for the wrongs they had caused. They had only been a tribe, snatching gold and fine gems from the nobles of random worlds and crafting their own works with the stolen goods. The Elves of the light were not so bothered by it, the elven race being a kind for more poetic things than wealth. They mourned the loss of their jewels though, being the vain creatures they are.

Nothing was taken from the dwarves besides their custom tools, yet that caused a uproar as if it had been a sacrilege of the greatest kind. It was they who had come to Odin, demanding that he take care of the problem as protector of The Nine. The Allfather had refused, yet Thor had cried out in front of all that to do nothing would be cowardice.

So Odin yielded, taking his elder son to battle and his youngest son to watch and learn.

But the lesson Loki learned that day was not of mercy or compassion for a lower race. As he trudged through the aftermath of the bloodied fields, he saw no glory in the deed of murder, no honors to be sung won by the taking of another life. No, instead he found misery and dared to have pity on a helpless infant and Odin had had it killed. It had been swift, yes, but it was a horrible thing to behold.

That day, Odin taught his foster son that pity and mercy were not valued and that if he ever wished to be a warrior, he would never have compassion again.

"Perhaps?" The Queen shook her head. "You saw good where others saw only image. You saw soul and that is what defines us. We all wish to be beautiful, but we forget that we all are, to a degree, good, true and beautiful." A smile curved her lips upwards. "Jotun, Elves, Men, Asgardian, Goblin, Dwarf….we all have the potential to be good, we just need to form a plan in making it into act."

A shudder ran through Loki's frame and he knew that the venom was once again sinking its fangs into his mind, seeping into the horrors he had locked away. Frigga's words were left hanging in his ears, heard, but not understood. He was numb and his memory was turning in on itself, leaving him confused and weak. He would feel it again, the fear that left him cold and his mouth dried like a deserted man in the hot sun. He would be forced to endure it, the things past that haunted like a faithful ghost, tied to him by events of history.

His history.

A flicker to his side drew his fogging attention to Frigga, who still knelt by with devotion. He looked up, to meet the soft gaze that would no doubt be filled with sorrow for him, pity for his collapse of self. His whole being was once more being enveloped in the cruel embrace of pain and no longer did their surrounding seem to be that of their elven prison.

Frigga was speaking again, her lips moving slowly and he wished he would make out the words. He wanted to hear her voice in his world, easing the agony meant to come. He desired for her to hold him and nothing more.

Even as his mind created a new scene, he craved nothing more than his mother.

"_Attached are we? You gaze with such stuffed love, begging to be taken notice of." _A laugh resounded through Loki's skull and he went cold to the bone._ "I do not have to remind you of my warnings do I?"_

Widened emerald orbs looked up, his entire body trembling with the echo of the hideous voice, that demon that mocked his existence with his smile, an expression that promised torment and left his blood stilled in his veins.

_He _was here…standing behind his mother with a blade of gleaming gold, a blue stone glowing brightly on its hilt. All breath left Loki and he went into a state of petrifying shock, unable to move or speak. He could only stare on, his stomach an empty pit of pure terror.

Purple eyes flashed and looked upon the prey with a wicked gleam.

"_Hello Loki."_

* * *

**_And here's to chapter 5! Yippeee! Sorry if I ended it suddenly for you but I DO have things to do and places to be hmm? Thank you to all who reviewed! I mean WOW only 4 chapters and you guys gave me 70 reviews! WOW! YOU are amazing people, please give yourselves a pat on the back from me!  
_**

**_Anyway, good news! There's a poll on my profile that can help me determine the next steps to take in this story! PLEASE VOTE!_**

**_And to all you WONDERFUL reviewers...Thank you SOOOO much! I am still working on replying to those I can but really...they come in like a beautiful waterfall to greet me! So many at once!_**

**_Please keep it up and let me know what you think!_**

**_-Ireland Ranger-_**


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